


Reborn as Stardust

by QuarkInShiningArmour



Series: Passing by the stars [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bruce is a better therapist to Thor than he was to Tony, Canonical Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, ThorBruce Week, but like set before/ignoring infinity war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 10:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15555744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuarkInShiningArmour/pseuds/QuarkInShiningArmour
Summary: In the rush after Ragnarok, lost in the flow of endless royal duties, Thor hasn't had time to mourn his family or friends.  Bruce helps him open up.Set in the journey to Earth from the ruins of Asgard.Thorbruce week day 3 - Comfort





	Reborn as Stardust

**Author's Note:**

> Bruce and Thor are already an item at this point, if you want to read how they got together, feel free to check out previous works in this series, but it's not a prerequisite to understand this.
> 
> I've gotta say, this is the work I'm least proud of so far, but hopefully you'll like it.

Thor was leaning against the wide window of his quarters, his remaining eye tracing the constellations.  It was a habit of his, Bruce had noticed, Thor looking to the stars after he came back to his room from a day of regal duties. 

The view was beautiful, endlessly vast.  Bruce didn’t ever think it would be possible for the awe of seeing deep into space to go away.  But every time he saw Thor staring out, he didn’t look, awed, or even happy.  He looked pained, sorrowful.  It was the only time the otherwise positive god let his guard down, let himself be sad.

_He’s probably just worried about the journey ahead_ , thought Bruce.  _Looking to the stars, worried about the welcome we’ll receive on Earth._

It took a week of seeing Thor do this before Bruce asked him about it.  He found talking about emotions very difficult, especially given his track record, but this was eventually outweighed by the feeling that Thor deserved a partner who he could talk to about his issues, a partner who would support him through them.   Bruce didn’t naturally have the temperament for listening to people’s problems, giving them advice, but he wanted to do better for Thor, push himself to be more supportive.

“Thor?”

He replied with a surprised ‘hmm?’ noise, snapping out of his train of thought.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Err, what?”

“Penny for your – it’s an Earth saying, it means I’ll pay you a penny in exchange for you telling me what you’re thinking.  Well, I guess, that’s not really what it means in practice, I just meant what are thinking about?”  Bruce was second-guessing himself.  “If you wanna talk about it, it’s up to you.”

Thor gave Bruce a fond smile, but he still had sadness in his eye.

“I –“ He started.  “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re anything but a burden, Thor, you run this whole place.  You deserve someone to confide in when you’re feeling down.  And I see you looking to the stars every day, worrying about our future.”

“That’s not it,” Thor said slowly.  “I’m not worried about our future.  Well, I _am_.  But that’s not why I’ve been looking at the stars.”  He walked to Bruce and lightly directed him to sit with him by the window, looking out together. 

“Asgardians and the Vanir, when we die, we become stardust.  It’s beautiful to look upon.  As out spirit enters the halls of Valhalla or the realm of Hel, our bodies glow and fade.  The ashes fly into the cosmos, and become stars.”  Thor turned to his partner, thinking to explain some of the science he was so fond of.  “The ashes enter nebulae and act as a gravitational catalyst.  The stars form around them.”

Bruce gave Thor’s arm a light, appreciative squeeze at the explanation.  He couldn’t help but feel lucky to have Thor, even at a time like this.

“So when you look at the stars, you’re remembering your friends, your family.”

Thor nodded.

“When my mother was killed, she had a full state funeral. It was grand and glorious.”  He looked to his knees.  “It didn’t make losing her hurt any less.”

Bruce could remember his own mother’s funeral.  Flowers and fancy black clothes and cards of condolence were no comfort to Bruce.  She could have had a horse-pulled hearse and rose garden planted in her honour and it wouldn’t have made him feel any less grim. 

For a moment, Bruce could hear Thor breath irregularly.  He didn’t try to fill the silence, he knew that it could be difficult to talk about loss, knew that the words didn’t come easily.  Instead, he held Thor’s back lightly, letting him know that he wouldn’t leave.

“And father,” He took a breath.  “Father knew he did not have any time left with us, so he turned to dust on an island in Norway, flew into the sky in front of me and Loki.”  He looked back to Bruce.  “I blamed Loki.  That wasn’t right.”

“It’s easy to lash out when you’re mourning,” said Bruce in the softest tone he could find.  “I’m sure Loki knows you didn’t mean it.”

_I can’t believe I’m defending Loki,_ a small part of Bruce’s head said.  A larger part, however, knew that it was what Thor needed, he needed the family he still had left.

Thor shuffled closer to Bruce so he was almost leaning on him.

“My friends, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, so many of the other warriors who fought and died on Asgard will never have proper funerals.” Thor’s voice lowered to the point where Bruce had difficulty hearing it.  “They’re not out there, not in the stars.”

Bruce didn’t know what to say.  He wanted to give some words of comfort, of how they’d be in Valhalla, but he didn’t feel like he knew enough about Thor’s religion to make it sound convincing.  Brushing Thor’s chin so that they made eye contact, Bruce tried to convey his understanding to Thor, tried his best to help. _What would be comfort to a warrior_? wondered Bruce.  He knew the answer, knew what any one of the Avengers would hope in the event of their death.

“They died trying to save Asgard.  From what I understand of your culture, that sort of sacrifice doesn’t get forgotten.”  Bruce’s voice was calm.  “And thanks to you, your people are safe, they will live to remember them.”

Thor reached in to hug Bruce, a slow, emotional hug that was so different to the vigorous, bear tackles he usually gave Bruce.

“Thank you,” Thor breathed into Bruce’s ear.

“It’s okay.” 

The broke from the hug and continued watching the stars for a while in comfortable silence.  When Thor started to slump onto Bruce, half dozing off, Bruce gently guided him to bed, placing a kiss on his forehead and his lips.  He went to leave and return to his own quarters, not wanting to encroach on Thor’s space without permission, but Thor caught his hand.

“Stay?”

**Author's Note:**

> Do they say 'penny for your thoughts?' in America or is that just a British thing? If it is, let's just say Bruce spent some time in Scotland.
> 
> Yes this is my fourth fic to mention people looking at stars I'm an astrophysicist, let me have my fun.
> 
> If you get the Iron Man 3 reference, I'll be proud.
> 
> I love comments and kudos, even months after publication.


End file.
